Another Holocaust Museum?

Is the $45 million spent on a Holocaust museum going to produce Jewish grandchildren?

Ten years ago my mother, a Holocaust survivor from Hungary, told me that she had given up on the idea of Holocaust museums.

It was a strange statement from a person who had suffered so much. By the age of five, my mother had become a virtual orphan: her father had been killed in a forced labor camp in the Ukraine and her mother had been marched off to Bergen-Belsen, from which she would only return after the war. After being passed first to her grandparents in the Jewish ghetto in Budapest and then to a gentile family, my mother was finally sheltered in a safe house for Jewish children established by the Red Cross. Even there she wasn't invulnerable. On at least one occasion Nazis raided the house and marched the children to the Danube River to be shot. At the last moment, her aunt plucked her from the roundup and she was saved.

My mother's statement wasn't cold-hearted. As a survivor growing up in a family of survivors and surrounded by a community of survivors in Skokie, Ill. where we lived, she was well aware that others had suffered fates far worse than her own. She had the utmost respect -- and still does -- for those people who had not only suffered the horrors of the war, but who had shown the courage and strength to rebuild their lives and the lives of their families after the war. As children, my siblings and I were regaled with stories of countless people who had transformed their once broken lives into flourishing ones. I remain awed by survivors' fortitude and count myself a blessed beneficiary of their collective strength.

No, my mother's statement wasn't cruel, it was merely practical. Taking the long view, she understood that the dilemma facing the Jewish community wasn't remembering the Holocaust, but producing the next generation of young Jews. She understood that a child without a good Jewish education was likely to assimilate and that a young Jewish man or woman who felt little connection to his or her history, culture and religion had a good chance of intermarrying, breaking a chain of thousands of years that countless others had fortified and protected.

While we are building museums to our past suffering, our people are disappearing.

So it was with mixed feelings that I approached last week's opening of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, the latest, and probably the last, Holocaust museum to be built in the United States. On the one hand, I felt a great deal of civic pride. My little community, Skokie, Ill., would forever be on the Jewish map. In 1977, a small group of survivors had banded together to oppose a planned march of neo-Nazis. Their fight to keep the Nazis off Skokie streets (where a disproportionate number of Holocaust survivors had settled after World War II) is now credited with launching the Holocaust education movement in the United States. A large and impressive museum, with the imprimatur of President Obama, Elie Wiesel and others, is a monument to the persistence and determination of the Chicago survivor community.

But I can't help but feel that our priorities are misplaced. While we are building museums to our past suffering, our people are disappearing. The statistics are familiar and numerous: an intermarriage rate above 50 percent; little to no interest in synagogue life outside of observant circles; young people thoroughly disenchanted with and disconnected from the state of Israel. A population that has grown little since the end of the war despite the efforts of dedicated community professionals who have poured millions, if not billions, into nurturing Jewish life in the United States.

Is the $45 million spent on a Holocaust museum going to produce Jewish grandchildren? Will it help a young Jew appreciate the depth and relevance of Jewish wisdom? Will it help young Jewish men and women understand why Jewish marriage is so vital for the survival of the community?

Offense, Not Defense

Maybe those are unfair questions. After touring the museum last Friday and attending a two-hour opening ceremony on Sunday, it became clear that the museum's mission isn't to reinforce Jewish identity, but to educate the public about genocide. Once visitors are compelled to understand the pure evil of the actors' motives and the helplessness of the victims', the argument goes, another Holocaust is less likely to occur.

This museum goes a step further than other Holocaust museums I have visited by explicitly juxtaposing the Shoah to other recent genocides -- Armenia, Cambodia, Rwanda -- in an attempt to universalize the message of Jewish suffering.

But I think the comparisons are only useful if you believe that educating someone about something as irrational as antisemitism will actually improve their behavior. But has Holocaust education even been effective? Did it prevent Hutus from raising machetes against Tutsis? Did it derail Serbian designs for Bosnian concentration camps? Did it stop the United Nations, the closest thing we have to a world government, from holding an "anti-racism" conference last week at which the president of a country that has called for the utter destruction of another was given top billing?

Holocaust museums is playing defense, not offense.

While I'm sure there have been people moved to action by a visit to a Holocaust museum and I'm certain they play an important role in education and commemoration, I do not believe they are crucial to the survival of our community. Ultimately, we will have to save ourselves.

First, let's realize that building Holocaust museums is playing defense, not offense. Creating an institution whose purpose is to teach visitors not to side with tyrants and persecute strangers is a wonderful ideal, but I think we can do more. I think we can teach them about Jewish suffering in particular and explore the ways that Jewish persecution and murder is totally different from that of others, as is the case at Israel's Yad Vashem.

Second, focus on the future and project strength, not weakness. As a Jewish journalist, I read nearly everything that affects the Jewish community and Israel. And over the past few years I have begun to feel that the communal obsession with the Holocaust is sending the wrong message to the world. It sends a message of weakness and not strength. It tells people that we are still licking our wounds, while our real strength lies in the incredible communities we have built after the war, communities that couldn't have been built without the enormous contributions of survivors. Ironically, the survivors have taught us a valuable lesson about how to live by moving forward with their lives. While we must remember, we should also heed their lesson by building Jewish life.

While we must remember, we should also heed the survivors' lesson by building Jewish life.

So what should we do? I believe there's only one answer. As much as trips to Israel might help build identity among American youth and cultural programming may convince them that being Jewish is "cool," a comprehensive Jewish education is the ultimate solution. Studies show that Jewish kids with a day school education are likely to affiliate with their community over a lifetime and in-marry -- at a rate above 90 percent. If we want to invest in our community, let's play offense. We need to build Jewish day schools and make them a top communal priority. Give Jewish kids a reason to be Jewish and we won't have to convince them to be Jewish later on.

Finally, let's consider not only the survivors but the 6 million martyrs who were murdered in the most heinous event in human history. What would my grandfather and other martyrs of the Holocaust have preferred: a monument to their suffering, or the knowledge that their children and grandchildren were living full, rich, prosperous Jewish lives?

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 57

(56)
Anonymous,
December 28, 2014 8:51 PM

A.Turetsky wants schools before museums. And what will be taught in those schools if there are no museums? The Holocaust was the result of fear, indoctrination resulting in hatred. They can bring a person who has never met a Jew to fear and hate him. Turn that principle around. Teach your children about the contribution that Jews and Judaism have made. We constitute less than a fraction of one percent of the world's population and have been awarded 22 percent of all Nobel prizes. Indoctrinate them with the facts to counter the lies. Let them see those facts demonstrated in their homes sothat they will reject the lies. There is just one problem: to teach this you have to know it yourself. You can't just leave it to some youngster straight out of school who is more knowledgable and enthusiastic about Manchester United.Don Krausz - Holocaust Survivor.

(55)
Bobby5000,
July 31, 2012 11:50 AM

getting your child to marry Jewish

If you want your child to marry Jewish, create a positive image. If he sees a close and loving family, giving Tzedakah, enrichment through the temple, he will probably want that himself. If he sees his mother, screaming Morris, how come we don't have money for a new kitchen, I want a fancier house, constant acrimony, he will think, is this what I want?. Boys are the ones who marry non-Jewish.
If you tell your son, you want to marry into a fancy family, work 60 hours a week and have a wife who complains you don't make enough money, be compared with every other guy, then sure, he may say the grass looks greener.
Creating a positive image of Judaism is the best way to have your son marry Jewish. I have a Rabbi who created a special service for Tisha B'Av which only 4 people attended in our rural area. The point is he thought it was important, so I thought it was too, and his passion and concern for others is inspiring.
Three generations away, Jews remember the holocaust but discussion of the tragedy will not make them marry Jewish.

Canuck,
December 15, 2014 5:28 PM

Your observations are perfectly correct.

My brother & I are retired schoolteachers. Each of us was subjected to frequent abuse & insults from our (Jewish) in-laws; the issue being that as "just a teacher," neither my brother & I had enough status & income to be respected. I believe it is no coincidence that all our children eventually married Christians. Today--speaking for myself--I rejoice daily to see the respect & kindness that my gentile daughters-in-law (& their parents) show to my sons. My sons' self-esteem & enjoyment of life is more important to me than "Jewish continuity." Leaders of the Jewish community should pay more attention to the interpersonal relations of living Jews, rather than to Holocaust museums for the dead.

(54)
Anonymous,
May 30, 2009 12:23 AM

before museums

Even though I have been on the March of the Living and I have visited two Holocaust museums and the Museum of Tolerance, I believe that one's Jewish spirit is either there or not there from the start, regardless. Joining a synagogue was not affordable for us when I was growing up, yet, I was encouraged to go to Sunday school (by the shul) and always made to feel welcome. My spirituality and belief in Judaism was very strong and I always wanted three children, for obvious reasons (one to replace him, one to replace me, and one extra. I am fortunate to have three (and three Jewish grandchildren so far as well)..

(53)
Janet Lesser,
May 8, 2009 4:37 AM

comment # 1. Word play inappropriate

Comment #1, by Ruth Housman.
The title of her comment "The cost of the HOLO CAUST", (no typo...), an attempt to display her literary cleverness, has turned the sacred word 'Holocaust' into a word game. It is inappropriate. There are instances to have literary fun with words, but writing HOLO CAUST to produce a rhyme is not one of them and is in fact disrespectful. I am surprised she did not refer to the museum as a "A Show of the Shoa".

(52)
Avraham Turetsky,
May 7, 2009 12:01 AM

Right on, Gerald

Museums and Holocaust studies are important. Jewish education, however, is not just important, it's absolutely essential to Jewish survival. You can't appreciate something you don't even know. Thus, the only hope for producing loyal Jews is Jewish education. We must first support schools, and then museums.

(51)
Gila,
May 2, 2009 11:19 PM

The other side of the equation

While many people are leaving by assimilation, many others, most of whom are probably descendants of Jews who assimilated or of anousim or who mistakenly believe they are already Jews thanks to a non-halachic conversion of themselves or of their mother/grandmother or who simply cannot prove they are already Jewish are seeking to rejoin the Jewish people. A Jewish spark/neshama, once awakened, leaves you with no choice but to come home as the Jew you are supposed to be. The halacha definitely does not require a waiting and study period of even one let alone several years, causing not only immense suffering in many cases which cannot be imagined unless you have been forced to go through the hell of conversion and its associated bureaucratic nightmare yourself but also preventing the birth of many more Jews because of time lost for possible procreation for women trying to convert. On the contrary, the Talmud makes it clear that conversion should not be delayed. While rabbis need to ensure that a candidate is serious and understands what they are taking on, rabbis also need in many cases to be far better informed of what is happening today and where converts are actually coming from. There are other ways of being able to determine as thoroughly as humanly possible whether someone is genuine which do not require an extensive waiting and study period of years.
Perhaps Hashem is allowing a winnowing process whereby those Jews who are not prepared to keep Torah and mitzvot are leaving through assimilation, whereas others who are are returning through conversion. But please let all those who need to convert actually come home!

(50)
Sonia,
May 1, 2009 4:19 AM

I am in complete agreement

Focus on the living
Contributions, attitudes and policies that support Jewish life, safety and security for the tiny little piece of real estate brought back to life by Shoah survivors against all odds Israel is what matters!
Politicians, Heads of State visiting Holocaust memorials/Yad Vashem while cavorting with and supplying enemies of the Jews the means to hurt the surviving remnant of Jewry insults the memory of our martyrs.
Better humanity and love for the Jewish people, respect for our nationhood, support when and where it counts is the expectation we should hold forth to the politicians who seek to appease.
We have enough martyrs
We keeping with Torah's teaching we choose life!

(49)
Anonymous,
May 1, 2009 1:28 AM

To Callie # 41

I couldn't have agreed more with your comment, Callie! But if it's that bad in America, imagine how much more needs to be done in non-American, Diaspora countries? It strikes me as sadly ironic that while some are debating building new generations (so to speak) of Holocaust Musuems or building new generations of 'better more affordable' Jewish Day schools that there is already at least 1 generation of Jewish singles who are in such desperate need of some proper, ongoing opportunities to meet other single Jews that they are now wondering if they'll have a chance to parent the next generation of the Jewish People! Your ideas concerning Jewish Singles were incisive and sharp, Callie. And this article was cutting-edge.

(48)
Shmuel Zev,
April 30, 2009 2:00 PM

Reality Check

A shame some of the money spent and new revenues being generated are not allocated for the needy religious Torah schools of that local community that are struggling in this bleak economic environment. Preventing the financial collapse of these institutions is a true priority.

(47)
Bobby,
April 30, 2009 8:07 AM

Remembering the Holocaust and Slavery is fine

A holocaust museum is appropriate to recall the tremendous suffering of our people. However, please be consistent
The holocaust can never be forgotten, we recall the screams of the children, and the suffering of those who died, but enough with this slavery and segregation stuff. Why can't blacks just get over it, what good does it do to just rehash these things over and over. Be consistent.

(46)
Shmuel,
April 30, 2009 7:57 AM

Well Put

Holocaust Memory is a convienient instrument used by world leaders to show they are pro-Jewish while they are working to destroy the Jewish People and State.

(45)
Beverly Kurtin,
April 29, 2009 7:11 PM

Holocaust Musems are Necessary

Holocaust Museums are necessary if nothing else to blunt the claims of the Holocaust deniers. Will they help invigorate a Jewish youth to marry only within the faith? As doubtful as that it, it could—and should—kindle a fire that might remain a mere spark in a Jewish youth’s heart to more seriously pursue their Judaism.
If it were up to me, every Jewish youth would be packed up and sent to Israel for two weeks to inhale and assimilate what it is to be a Jew in a non-Jewish world.
I loved the comment about Christian churches GIVING education for free. We Jews need to understand that despite the claims of the Jew-haters, not all Jews are wealthy, especially not wealthy enough to afford such luxuries as day schools.
Fifty years ago, the only day schools I knew of were in New York and Los Angles. There were others, I imagine, but if you lived in the boondocks of this country, your ability to get a Jewish education was as close to nil as possible. Happily, that has changed and even in some smaller cities around the country, day schools have flowered and are already bearing fruit.
We need more Jewish education. We need a real Hebrew education where youngsters are not taught merely how to say the words without knowing what they mean. And most of all, we need to stop the mindset in our youngsters that their Bar/Bat Mitzvah is somehow an end to their Jewish life. We need to make Judaism a central part of their lives.

(44)
sharona,
April 29, 2009 5:38 PM

we need both

I think that we should educate people as much as needed, so people know what happened, and what can happen if things get out of hand. However, even with this knowledge, anything can still happen. Maybe not as bad as before but still.
We deffinately need to give our children a Jewish education to ensure that the Jewish people and Torah continue on. The spiritual power from Torah helps the world continue to exist. - In the merit of spreading Torah to our children and other Jews, may Hashem have mercy on us and redeem us soon with compassion

(43)
nina,
April 29, 2009 10:53 AM

Phil's plan

" If Jewish people are willing to subject their lives to assimilation, a holocaust will not occur again"
So how did that work in Germany, Phil?
Maybe you need to visit that museum.

(42)
ethne Freedberg,
April 29, 2009 8:17 AM

Very thought provoking article, Gerald.

From Ethne Freedberg

(41)
Callie,
April 29, 2009 7:16 AM

Totally Correct

We should be doing Holocaust Education but not at the expense of doing nothing for future generations.
Its like pulling teeth to get a 100 let alone a thousand dollars to host a Jewish singles event that may draw dozens to hundreds of local singles. And if you can get funding for one of those events it will be a year until the next singles or just young jewish social event occurs.
There are organizations that talk about continuity of programming, but when it comes down to it the money is not there for it. And having been the person planning these things I know first hand how hard it is. Even when the event cost little or nothing I'd have people working against me b/c things weren't "good enough" or that "singles events are shallow hook ups etc....".
And if you do get married to a Jew, or at least someone who lets you raise the kids completely Jewish and you want to send them to a Jewish school be prepared to live like paupers b/c 15,000 a year plus camp of course is what it will cost you to give your kids a Jewish education in a medium sized city.
Meanwhile I know people who send their kids to Catholic schools for less than 5k a year, with plenty of scholarships and fundraisers to offset even that smaller cost. Why can the Catholics do it but not hte Jews?
I met my current Jewish boyfriend of nearly 2 years at that LAST Jewish singles event in Pittsburgh. It was a great Casino night event. But it was a one time deal b/c someone out there fought for it. But there hasn't been one since. NOT ONE! In two years there have only been 2-3 well attended Jewish social events for young professionals and a handful of poorly attended "happy hours" that are always on Thursdays... So if you have a standing committment on Thursday you are SOL.
The state of Jewish programming for young adults is in a sorry state. There are few if any outlets for Jews to meet Jews these days, so thy meet goyim... We need more energy spent on getting young people together.
There are people out there willing to volunteer their time and energy to creating these social opportunities for singles AND couples. But they need a way for their energies to come to fruition.
At some organizations like the UJF you must "pay to play" so young professionals without great funds to donate are excluded from extensive volunteerism. And while some Hillels are helping out with post graduates, the one here wouldn't even let young professionals use the building when no on else was using it. After years of fighting post graduate and young singles programming they finally acquiesced to do some, but its so poor in quality and occurs too rarely... Its just a show to make it look like they want to pitch in.
There are many ways to continue Jewish families out there, from sponsoring JDate like sites (or heck, buy Jdate and make it free!) to regular and consistent social programming for Jewish young adults. They need not be religious programs, that scare away more secular Jews.... Just events that get people together to have a drink, dinner, coffee, hear a musical perofrmance, see a play, bowl, dance or WHATEVER! Every community needs a variety of programming and it needs to have follow through. One event should be followed by two more events so that people take the fun they had at the first into making the effort to go to another. When there is a 6 month or year lag in between and nothing in the interim to engage people then what's the point at all... IF this is all we can do then let's just give up, at least then the museums will be around to show that once there was this people known as the Jews, but now they are gone.

(40)
Lillian Tobin,
April 28, 2009 7:40 PM

Dignity

Mr. Burstyn's comments are incisive and most welcome. They reflect 100% my own feelings on the subject and I feel vindicated. Although I feel compelled to attend our local Yom Hashoa observance annually, I always feel emotionally drained and humiliated and hopeless. We saw the video "Defiant" recently and the attendance was overwhelming. The audience felt electrified by seeing couragious Jews fighting for survival against unbelievable odds while still retaining their humanity. It was uplifting. Young Jews will be better served learning about our glorious heritage and that we are a people with an incomparable tradition of faith, wisdom, tolerance and good deeds. We need to imbue our children with a sense of pride and dignity, not continues helpless victimhood.

(39)
Pleasant,
April 28, 2009 7:20 PM

No, the museum will not ensure another generation!

What we all need to do is make Sunday School and Hebrew School free and lay a guilt trip on parents for not having their kids attend. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO AT CHURCHES AND I SHOULD KNOW SINCE I COME FROM A MIXED FAMILY AND THAT IS WHAT THEY DO AND THAT IS WHY THEIR NUMBERS INCREASE AND OURS DON'T. Quit pretending that when people like me tell you this you don't notice, or give lip service and then continue with "business as usual". I know I am not the first to say this. But maybe self-extermination of Judaism is the goal you all are working on here. I don't know, silly me(and the others like me). AND GUESS WHAT ELSE THE CHURCHES DO? TITHES(TZEDAKAH) IS ON THE HONOR SYSTEM AND RICH PEOPLE STILL GIVE PLENTY AND POOR PEOPLE ACTUALLY COUGH UP MORE!!!! THIS IS WHY MOST CHURCHES DON'T GO BELLY UP or SELL THEIR BUILDINGS LIKE HAPPENED TO THE ONE IN DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA - WHICH IS NOW OWNED BY THE "MESSIANIC JEWS"(i.e. Jews for Jesus)Duh. Get a clue. Who can stomache a huge bill in order to be considered a member in this tough economy when you have kids? So, only the really old, the gays and lesbians and the REALLY rich get to be Jewish? That's the message I get. I have four kids. 3 boys, 1 girl.

(38)
Anonymous,
April 28, 2009 3:31 PM

@Tim

it's attitudes like yours that will lead to another genocide.

(37)
Kip Gonzales,
April 28, 2009 12:58 PM

I was there in Skokie in 1977

I was in Skokie on that day in 1977, when the American Nazi Party decided to march. There were thousands of protesters from all political sides, and hundreds of police to protect the Nazi marchers. I expected a whole batallion of them, but there were only about 12! (In full S.A. brown-shirt uniforms and a huge swastika flag.) As the march began, I wanted to hand out a christian tract that was pro-Jewish, called "Support your Local Jew", but found myself in the midst of a crowd of polish people. I thought they were screaming against the Nazis, but found they were screaming FOR them! What a world! I became chicken and put my literature back in my pocket. I was just young and inexperienced then. Today I would have spoken up loudly for the Jews, (and probably gotten my head cracked) and warned them that whoever curses Israel will be cursed themselves.
I think the new museum is good, but I´m also for more dialog with Christians who are really supportive of Jews and Israel.

(36)
Anonymous,
April 28, 2009 7:42 AM

To Phil, #15

I wonder if you thought any thoughts before writing your comment. First it's nihilistic, Jews--assimilate, then there will not be anti-semitism (just what the non-jews want). Second if you read any Jewish history book you would have known that the most assimilated Jews were the German, just like America, same rate of assimilate, intermarriage, financial success... etc. This is the place where the Shoa came.

(35)
Anonymous,
April 28, 2009 1:04 AM

Jewish Education then what?

I thought this was an excellent article. I don't believe, however, that Jewish education is enough to ensure against inter-marriage even if it is a good start.
As someone who attended Jewish Day schools my whole life (and has since seen the majority of those former collegues go on to feel quite disconnected from Judaism regardless) I'm confidant that a Jewish Education is just the beginning of the fight against inter-marriage.
Some people say there is a 'shidduch crisis' going on. A crisis which seems to be affecting even those communities who have made Jewish Education one of the biggest priorities for their children.
If we want future generations of Jews to go on and have 'Jewish Grandchildren', we need to give them new, realistic and ongoing oppotunities to meet other Jews once 'school's out'. The kinds of opportunities which are generationally appropriate. The internet isn't enough on its own to do this at the moment, but it IS a good way to survey younger generations of Jews about what kind of 'post-highschool/college' opportunities they think would help them to stay connected to Judaism (and to other Jews) and which ones they think might help even more. Nobody wants to be generationally patronised, after all.
This was an execellent article and I believe that priorities do really need to shift to where the Jewish communities are actually the smallest/most endangered NOW and most in need of help in this area. It's probably time to set up a fund to 'save single, (educated or not) Jews worldwide from inter-marriage'. A fund that recognises not only the importance of having a Jewish Education but one that gives ongoing opportunities to American
(or non-American) educated (or non-educated) single Jews. Opportunities which are sustainable and workable and REALLY help them to stay connected to Judaism. The kind of fund which might help them to meet or re-meet each other Jews first, then maybe - if we're lucky - one day even marry and have some Jewish grandchildren.

(34)
David Margulis,
April 27, 2009 10:21 PM

Amazingly On Target

This article is amazingly on target as to where our priorities need to be as a community. While the Holocaust can never be forgotten, no Jewish boy or girl is ever going to be moved toward a deeper and more meaningful Jewish expression from yet another Holocaust museum. Solid financial support for our Jewish day school system is truly the only answer to our long term survival. This article should be mandatory reading for all Jewish community leaders.

(33)
Shana,
April 27, 2009 5:57 PM

Offense not Defense

We have to show the world that we are not whiners when we honor the victims and survivors of the Holocaust but we are the ture survivors who are thriving in spite of the horrendous fate of the six million who perished.
Intermarriage is more threatening to Judaism than any anti semitism we may endure.
Teach your children about our proud history and pride in being a Jew.

(32)
Sandy,
April 27, 2009 5:48 PM

To Tim

To Tim, who said "who cares it was long ago!
Stop littering america with these stupid places,get over it!"
May I respectfully suggest that you stop littering America with your presence as well? The odor is a bit offensive. Thanks.

(31)
Eti,
April 27, 2009 4:09 PM

Universal Ideas

Holocaust museums, here or elsewhere, are not only about you. They are able using a specific example to illustrate a larger concept. Why do you think the children from Paper Clips and The Freedom Writers Diaries were so impacted by learning about the Holocaust? When you come to understand the idea of not judging someone based on their religion, race, or beliefs, you gain much more than knowledge about a specific time period. Teaching tolerance is the root of peace in the world.True, hate crimes and war might still happen, but children will be empowered by the knowledge they gain and individual's lives will be changed. I know mine was.

(30)
Tzipporah,
April 27, 2009 11:09 AM

Education

These are very true words. The second thing to be built in a community after a mikvah is a school for children, even before the shul. The training of our young is so vital to Jewish survival. Proverbs says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." This is very true and we all need to take it to heart , for our children''s sake.

(29)
Chicago Mom,
April 27, 2009 10:22 AM

My kids attend a Jewish day school down the road from this museum.

My kids attend a Jewish day school down the road from this museum, with nowhere near the resources nor endowment of the Holocaust Museum. The museum's building is magnificient - the day school's is not so magnificent (putting it mildly). Many of the families who send their kids to day school can barely afford the tuition. Families limit the number of children they have so they can afford day school. (Day school tuition is known as "Jewish Birth Control").
The money spent on this Holocaust museum would have pay each child's tuition at my kids' day school for a year.
What is wrong with our priorities???

(28)
Sam,
April 27, 2009 9:32 AM

Subsidize Jewish Day Schools

When my wife and I started our family, we consciously chose a home within walking distance of a shul and a Jewish Day School here in Toronto.
Our youngest will graduate next year from our local Jewish High School and although we disagree with the obvious internal politics we are pleased that we have given our children a solid background supported by a Jewish Home. The kids also grudgingly admit that attending a school with a double curriculum actually prepared them more than their counterparts in the Public School System.
However, paying for their education has always been a huge financial burden, even if subsidy is available. Our province unfairly pays for Catholic demoninational schools from taxpayer monies while ignoring all others. Many times my in-laws and others have questioned why we put ourselves through financial hardship for the kids "Jewish School".
The simple answer is that when they leave the home and go to university our children have run into Jewish students that have been raised as Unitarians, Catholics or Buddists. Likewise we know Israeli families living here whose children do not speak Hebrew or have little background because their parents assumed that the kids would learn religion and culture via osmosis.
What the Shoah didn't do, we are doing by not educating the future.
Too many children are denied access to education because the fees are just too high.

(27)
Andrew Stiller,
April 27, 2009 8:48 AM

Excellent Article

These words are so true and timely. In order to ensure the future of our people, we must do all we can to educate them, instill in them a sense of pride in our heritage, and work together to produce a new generation of Jewish youth who will honor our past even as they strive to create a lasting future.

(26)
Yossef Ytschhaak (Brazil),
April 27, 2009 7:53 AM

Torah Education

Torah education is the key to ensure truly jewish living. Besides it also provides a deep understanding about the holocaust and about our roles as jews in this world. But we are commanded to celebrate life, never forget our past, the good and the evil moments, but always to choose life. Let''s never forget, but to put money on jewish education will ensure our next generations. Sorry abou my english...

(25)
Charnie,
April 27, 2009 7:46 AM

I couldn't have said this better myself

While the Holocaust must never be forgotten, it is not what defines Judaism. There is an entire generation of Jews whose sole identification as Jews revolves around the Holocaust. Surely many of the people who have funded these musuems now have non-Jewish grandchildren. The spiritual holocaust is a much greater threat to us right now, and Jewish outreach and education are our great insurance policy.
However, comments such as those of Tim (#2) are quite inappropriate and insensitive. Even if I personally would prefer to see $45M allocated differently, I will never "get over it".

(24)
Sharon,
April 27, 2009 7:39 AM

Agreed!

Coming from secular childhoods, my husband and I have slowly become more religious and finally decided to take the plunge and send our children to a Jewish Day School - we couldn't be happier. It has enriched all of our lives - we learn from them - and I truly believe "Why would you do something or keep something if you don't know why?" A Jewish education teaches our children "the why". But what can we do to make it more affordable? This is where money should be going now - encouraging more secular Jewish families who would consider a day school but for the cost. Parents who feel that Jewish education is a "nice to do" rather than those who wouldn't choose anything else - these are the families we need to encourage and help financially, if we can. Thank you for raising this important issue. and Yasher Ko'ach to your family and community for taking their memories and turning them into something good.

(23)
Sheindel Heisler,
April 27, 2009 4:47 AM

45 million dollars is alot of money

to spend on glass and metal. A Torah education is the only way to ensure Jewish continuity today. I can't understand, howerver, the communities who are able to pay 45 million dollars for a museum where the donor's names can be prominently displayed while Jewish children in Eretz Yisroel need food and clothing, protection from Arab missles and so much that American Jews take for granted. In Shomayim will these Jews gain merit for a museum or for feeding a hungry Jewish family?

(22)
Rabbi Aryeh Moshen,
April 27, 2009 3:44 AM

Is the the family or the school?

At this point, only those families who want to sacrifice to send their children to day schools (Yeshivot) do so. While education of more youth is important, it is also important to also reach out to their parents and to get them to live what their children learn.

(21)
Anonymous,
April 26, 2009 9:24 PM

Why no Aish in Chicago?

There is a holocaust museum but no Aish? If you want Jewish grandchildren there needs to be solid Jewish education.

While it is good and proper to remember the Jewish Holocaust in Europe during WWII, please spare a thought for the more than 20 million people who died in SE Asia during WWII, a good number of them Europeans imprisoned by the Japanese.

(18)
don muntean,
April 26, 2009 7:36 PM

a future

Very good article! I myself came to Judaism - having been raised as a Catholic. I think that the Jewish community needs to embark on a massive outreach program - time to start preaching missions to reach whomever will listen. I think that more people would choose a Jewish path if they knew more about it. We must make an effort now to invite others to take up this path. That is why the other faiths are more successful in terms of their numbers - they actively look for new people to join the fold!
We must never let the past die!
That being said we must make sure the future has a chance to live...

(17)
Roz Landau,
April 26, 2009 5:37 PM

An excellent article

I agree with the author. While it is certainly important to remember the Holocaust, another museum is perhaps not the best use of time and money. What about a memorial and using the rest of the $45 million to educate our children to grow to be commited jewish adults to raise more committed jewish families? We need to move forward, not be victims of the past.

(16)
Ann Cohen,
April 26, 2009 5:01 PM

Try another angle!

Sorry - I don't agree.
As the daughter of a holocaust survivor, for Jews to survive we must understand the lessons of the holocaust - more so with each generation that assimilates. Most Holocaust museums, as with this one are Education Centre. They are important tools for Jews and Non-Jews alike.
It is appalling for any person to justify the Holocaust saying it was Hashem's choice (as per anonymous!!!!)
I am sure - I hope, that the writer did not intend to bring out these loonies but that is what always happens.
Yes teaching Judaism is also important, but people who state it is paranoid to say "Never Again" need to go to the Museum. "Never Again" keeps him safe, the many Jewish people that work behind the scenes to ensure that "Never Again". No one is stating that money should also not be spent on Jewish education - this is not a one or the other issue, it is both.
I am offended by the thoughtless so called religious people who make statements such as comments made here. I believe Hashem wants me to remember every single Jewish man, women and child murdered in the Shoah. I also believe that the reason Hashem saved so many of us was to ensure we did remember. You see I owe my life to Gentile Poles who saved my father - Hashem must have had a reason.
Further, remembering the Holocaust makes us strong - I think most would agree that in 1948 the Jewish people were never stronger! Remembering the Holocaust aids in the zeal or passion of being strong. I stick with believing in Torah VeAvodah.
So you know what - why don't you focus on donating / raising money to focus on education of Judaism and I will raise money to ensure that every Jewish generation grows up knowing to never, ever stay silent again.

(15)
Phil,
April 26, 2009 4:25 PM

Assimilation

I think it's good that Jewish people are intermarrying.. This means that their religion and culture will not necessarilly die out but rather it will influence others to include include Jewish beliefs with their own belief..
I think a possible reason for the holocaust was the unwillingness of jewish people to assimilate into other cultures or, on the other hand, the unaccectability that other cultures profferred.
If Jewish people are willing to subject their lives to assimilation, a holocaust will not occur again

(14)
Hindy Alster,
April 26, 2009 3:54 PM

In this day and age when there are so many Holocaust deniers, as well as the sole survivors dying, we cannot dismiss the building of another museum so quickly. This is a big country, and there are a lot of people to educate about the Holocaust.We need these places of education in all areas. It is going to be harder and harder to deal with those who say the Holocaust did not happen. While we do not want to be identified as Jews, with only the Holocaust, its happening was so pivotal in our history, that we must take every opportunity to educate about it. The interesting thihng about the Holocaust, is that the Nazis, could care less about the level of observance of a Jew. Being a Jew was reason enough to get killed. So we should not mix our internal problems, that the outside world does not care about, with the Holocaust. If the rate of intermarriage is at it's highest, let's try to figure out why. Could the fact that certain factions in this religion are very exclusionary, and insular, thereby giving secular Jews the feeling that they don't belong? Have some factions become so fanatical in their observance, that they do not see the forest for the trees, thus making observance seem impossible for some? Are tuitions skyrocketing into the stratosphere? Are Yeshivas too picky about who they accept or not? These questions have nothing to do with how important it is to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive. It is only 70 years after that catastrophe, and already people want to forget or deny it. Was there not a 500 excommunication of Spain because of the Inquisition? How much more so the Holocaust.

(13)
Marina Rivera del Aguila,
April 26, 2009 3:46 PM

Encourage Torah study!

Jews are not Jews because of what they eat during certain days of the year, or by old traditions, or because of the Holocaust. Jews sprung up in human history because of a different life style. Where do they find the fundamentals for such a way of life? In the Torah!

(12)
Esther,
April 26, 2009 1:50 PM

YES

My sentiments exactly. The money should be used to insure EVERY Jewish child has a Jewish education. Money should be used for scholarships and tuition. That is what will perpetuate Yiddishkeit! Here in L.A. there are several Holocaust museums/monuments. At Pan Pacific Park (near the Grove) they dimantled a perfectly good monument and are spending big bucks to build a bigger and better one. What a massive waste of money! I will not even attend today's gathering because of that.

(11)
Anonymous,
April 26, 2009 1:41 PM

Out of the Fold and Back Into the Fold

I read your article with interest. I am a Christian married to a man of Jewish descent from his Father. We are going to a Synagogue in town and are rapidly learning about the Jewish ceremonies and worship as well as the wisdom revealed at this website. You talk about those that have left the community. How about those who (by no fault of their own) by heritage are shunned by members of their ancestral heritage. Are they welcomed into the fold, or are they shunned as bastards? Do you understand their quest for understanding and a leaning towards G-d with their heritage? Is it natural for the pure Jewish to exclude them? This is another side to your beautifully written, sensitive article. A response would be invaluable.

(10)
Mollie,
April 26, 2009 1:29 PM

Holocaust happened and must not be forgotten

Holocaust museums are a reminder that the Holocaust truly happened. (We visited Auschwitz prior to our conversion to the Jewish faith.) All the Jews that believe in "social justice" don't realize that this isn't "welfare"- it means Mom and/or Dad work! The current President was raised in the Muslim faith (fact) and his middle name is: Hussein(fact). Members of the Muslim faith want Holocaust removed from the history books and to pretend it never happened. Quite frankly, I believe that G-d "re-cycles" souls. I told the Rabbi at the "Taste of Judaism course",that "I think I may have been Jewish in a past life" (he didn't think I was "crazy" and told me that about a third of the people coming to his class mentioned this). Holocaust may have been a way for G-d to "scatter" Jewish people and "Jewish" souls throughout the world. I love this faith and the values that it teaches. There would truly be more peace in the world if more people embraced Judaism, but Islam is the "fasting growing religion in the United States" and plans to become the faith of over 50% of the world by the end of the century. While Jews focus on education, Muslims do not find education important and believe that women should just make children as soon as they are able to do so, in which case Jews will be "outbred" and highly "outnumbered", so another Holocaust could happen! We don't need museums everywhere, but in some of the major cities to honor the Jews who lost their lives because of their faith. Don't know how many museums are currently open, but we need at least six to represent the six points in the Star of David as well as the six million Jews (that we know about) who were killed. We learned at Auschwitz, that many non-Jews were killed because they might let others know what was going on in the concentration camps. Lesson learned from the Holocaust: when you know about things that are not "right", the worse thing you can do is to not attempt to let others know about it and allow the negative actions to continue. We must "speak up" (even if it costs us our lives), particularly for our Jewish faith or this, too can "go away"!

(9)
Stuart,
April 26, 2009 1:22 PM

Museums only make secular Jews feel good about themselves

Funny thing, the beings who perpetuate genocide tend not to go to these museums. They view the museums and similar "civilized" attractions as a sign of weakness. The only way to stop the murderers is to blot them out, as the Torah instructs us to blot out Amalek. The "Never Again" refrain only means "Again and Again" when it is not backed by strong, crushing military action.
We Jews would be better served in learning Torah, as Commentator No, 5 discusses, then to build more museums. Am Israel Chai!

(8)
Anonymous,
April 26, 2009 12:11 PM

Very impressive essay

none

(7)
BILL HIMES,
April 26, 2009 11:46 AM

A GREAT STORY. IT NEEDS TO BE REPEATED AGAIN AND AGAIN
BILL H

(6)
Marsha,
April 26, 2009 10:40 AM

In addition

In addition to building Jewish day school, we must make them affordable. WIth tuition averaging 15,000, synagogue dues, Jewish summer camp which also helps build identity, a family with 3 children would need close to $100,000 after tax dollars to pay for their Jewish commitment. We are pricing ourselves out of existence.

(5)
Anonymous,
April 26, 2009 9:54 AM

Judaism does not = The Holocaust

There is way too much emphasis, both in the liberal Jewish streams and the secular world, on the Holocaust.
Judaism is a religion for the LIVING.
Not only that, we were not victims. HaShem caused the Holocaust to happen, just as He causes everything else.
The lesson of the Holocaust is not to build more museums and have a "Never Again" paranoid mentality but, rather, that we must become better Jews and hold up our end of the bris/covenant by doing what HaShem wants us to do, so HaShem will hold up His.

(4)
Anonymous,
April 26, 2009 9:52 AM

Brilliant analysis of a sensitive topic

I agree with the author's analysis 100%. Sadly, Holocaust commemoration is the sole way in which many American Jews self-identify,rather than through the Torah and through the vibrancy of living Judaism. I personally know several Holocaust survivors whose grandchildren and great-grandchildren are all yeshiva-educated, Torah-observant Jews. To me those children, and many others like them are the best response to the Holocaust.

(3)
jonathan Ottenstin,
April 26, 2009 9:37 AM

holocaust museum

I totally agree with the writer
The money would be better spent on Jewish Education, which make it more likely they will marry Jewish
At one time there were a lot of ethnic jews, who were not religous, but married Jews. Today, except among the orthodox, it is almost expected that they will marry non Jews. I remember one guy who said he got married by a reform rabbi. The rabbi asked, which one is the Jewish one. He assumed that only one was Jewish. In this case, both were Jewish

(2)
tim,
April 26, 2009 9:27 AM

who cares it was long ago!

Stop littering america with these stupid places,get over it!

(1)
ruth housman,
April 26, 2009 9:14 AM

the cost of the HOLO CAUST

I think we can do both, meaning perpetuate the memory, as it must be held for future generations, not just for Jews but for what's "just" and "righteous" in this world. Such evil must not be repeated and as to those who are continuing to act in such ways, they aren't visiting these museums. They are locked into their own ignorance and tribal ways. Hate is somehow, taught and passed down from generation to generation, so YES, to teach love is the imperative, for us all, wherever we live.
I think we're moving forward in perceptible ways into a new paradigm of perceiving the world and our place here. It's all over the "net" and surely even rabbis are beginning to write about this. I read in the pages of Aleph about this, and that they are collecting writings from spiritual people, not just rabbis.
I think the movement towards a truth in compassion and towards a life that is about respect for us all is where we're headed, Jews and non Jews.
in truth/ruth

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!